Texas Instruments NAVNSCRK302L1 User Manual

TI-Navigator™

Reference Guide

Important Information

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Contents

Important Information................................................................... ii

Getting started with TI-Navigator .........................................1

Starting TI-Navigator™ on your computer................................... 1

The TI-Navigator computer home screen ..................................... 2

TI-Navigator computer tools.......................................................... 7

Creating and managing your teacher account............................. 8

Using calculator screen options................................................... 11

Logging in to TI-Navigator on your calculator ........................... 12

Logging in to TI-Navigator (student instruction) ....................... 13

The TI-Navigator calculator home screen ................................... 15

TI-Navigator calculator tools ....................................................... 15

Managing classes..................................................................17

Creating classes............................................................................. 17

Selecting a class ............................................................................ 19

Beginning and ending class sessions........................................... 20

Changing the class view............................................................... 20

Removing items from the Class Record....................................... 23

Removing classes .......................................................................... 24

Managing student accounts.................................................25

Adding students to classes........................................................... 25

Checking student login status ..................................................... 27

Arranging the seating chart ........................................................ 27

Sorting student information........................................................ 28

Using the Student Portfolio view................................................ 29

Resetting student passwords....................................................... 32

Changing the classes of a student............................................... 34

Changing student names and identifiers.................................... 36

Moving a student to another class.............................................. 37

Copying a student to another class............................................. 38

Removing a student from a class................................................. 38

Exchanging files with students ...........................................41

Sending files ................................................................................. 41

Sending files (student instruction) .............................................. 46

Collecting files .............................................................................. 48

Receiving files (student instruction)............................................ 50

Deleting files from calculators..................................................... 51

Checking the status of file transfers ........................................... 53

Canceling file transfers ................................................................ 54

iii

Finding transferred files...............................................................55

Changing the unprompted file location.....................................55

Viewing file properties.................................................................56

Running interactive activities ............................................. 59

Introduction to the Activity Center tool .....................................59

Configuring activities ...................................................................68

Changing the graph window settings......................................... 79

Saving and loading activity settings ...........................................90

Starting and managing activities.................................................91

Creating and adding activity data...............................................94

Contributing activity data (student instruction)....................... 102

Plotting activity data ..................................................................112

Editing activity data....................................................................120

Saving and loading activity data ...............................................121

Deleting activity data .................................................................123

Viewing activity data..................................................................125

Viewing Frequency Plots ............................................................127

Showing and hiding activity data..............................................130

Highlighting activity data ..........................................................134

Sorting activity data ...................................................................135

Polling students.................................................................. 139

The Quick Poll tool window and tabs .......................................139

Opening the Quick Poll tool ......................................................141

Polling your students..................................................................142

Stopping polls .............................................................................143

Pausing polls ...............................................................................143

Resuming paused polls...............................................................144

Responding to polls (student instruction).................................144

Sending poll results to students.................................................146

Saving polls ................................................................................. 146

Viewing poll results ....................................................................146

Sorting poll data.........................................................................148

Showing and hiding display names...........................................148

Viewing previous polls ...............................................................148

Closing the Quick Poll tool.........................................................149

Capturing calculator screens ............................................. 151

Capturing calculator screens......................................................151

Viewing Captured Screens .........................................................152

Saving captured screens .............................................................153

Refreshing captured screens ......................................................154

Showing and hiding display names...........................................154

LearningCheck™ Creator....................................................157

LearningCheck™ Creator Main Window.................................. 157

Creating a new document ......................................................... 158

Specifying document properties ............................................... 159

Adding a new section ................................................................ 160

Adding questions ....................................................................... 161

Adding specific question types.................................................. 163

Editing Presentation Sequence.................................................. 172

Adding questions from the Item Bank...................................... 174

Saving a document..................................................................... 177

Adding special characters to text 178

Working with documents .......................................................... 180

Opening existing documents..................................................... 181

Printing a Report........................................................................ 188

Working with Images 190

Previewing a document ............................................................. 197

Sending documents to calculators ............................................ 198

Sending a document to a classroom network.......................... 200

Notes and tips for TI-73 Explorer™ users.................................. 201

Troubleshooting LearningCheck™ Creator .............................. 202

The Class Analysis Tool .......................................................207

Getting started ........................................................................... 207

Creating a new class analysis..................................................... 207

Viewing a slide show of the analysis......................................... 221

Printing analysis reports............................................................. 222

Glossary of terms used in Class Analysis.................................... 241

Installing Apps and OS files ...............................................243

Opening the App and OS Transfer tool .................................... 243

Adding files to the transfer list ................................................. 244

Selecting and unselecting files to send..................................... 245

Removing files from the transfer list ........................................ 245

Installing Apps or OS files.......................................................... 246

Closing the App and OS Transfer tool....................................... 246

Troubleshooting..................................................................247

Frequently-asked questions....................................................... 247

System requirements.................................................................. 255

Error messages............................................................................ 256

Glossary...............................................................................261

Terms ........................................................................................... 261

File types ..................................................................................... 264

Legal Information .............................................................. 267

Texas Instruments Support and Service .....................................267

Getting started with TI-Navigator

The TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system provides the hardware and software tools you need to set up a wireless classroom network. The TI-Navigator™ system lets you:

• Create and manage classes on the classroom network.

• Transfer files between your computer or calculator and your students’ calculators.

• Monitor your students with screen captures and polling.

• Perform various interactive activities with your students to enhance your lessons.

• Use different tools to create, distribute, and analyze educational content.

• Install TI Graphing Calculator Applications (Apps) on your students’ calculators.

The TI-Navigator™ system has two main components that make it work:

• TI-Navigator computer software. The TI-Navigator computer software contains the tools and options you need to run your wireless classroom network.

• TI-Navigator calculator software. The TI-Navigator calculator software contains the tools you and your students need to exchange information with each other through the TI-Navigator network.

This section provides basic information about TI-Navigator, including information on both the computer software and the calculator software.

Starting TI-Navigator™ on your computer

You can start the TI-Navigator™classroom learning system from your computer’s start menu.

To start TI-Navigator on your computer

f Click

Getting started with TI-Navigator 1

Start > Programs > TI Tools > TI-Navigator > TI-Navigator™.

The TI-Navigator™ computer home screen opens.

Note: If you have not used the TI-Navigator system before, a prompt

opens asking if you want to set up your classroom. You can choose to set up your classroom or continue on to the TI-Navigator computer home screen.

Note: Make sure that the network indicator at the bottom of the screen

indicates that the TI-Navigator™ network is available. If it is not available, this indicates an error.

The TI-Navigator computer home screen

The TI-Navigator™computer home screen provides the tools and options you need to run the TI-Navigator software. Below you can see an example of the TI-Navigator computer home screen with its main parts labeled. Following the TI-Navigator computer home screen, you can find detailed explanations of each labeled part.

2 Getting started with TI-Navigator

Ê Classroom tab

Tools tab

Ì Current Class

Í Class Record

ÊË

Classroom tab

In the Classroom tab, you can view the students in the selected class and add, remove, or edit students. The Classroom tab has three views, the Seating Chart, Student List and Student Portfolio views. In the Seating Chart view, you can view your students by their display name and an icon. In the Student List view, you can view your students listed in a table with some of their account information. The Student Portfolio view displays student names and the scores for every assignment. Below you can see an example of the Classroom tab with its main parts labeled.

Note: The example below shows the Classroom tab in Student List view.

Getting started with TI-Navigator 3

Ê Classroom toolbar. Lets you add, edit, and remove students.

Student roster. 1) Seating Chart view - Shows students listed with

display names and student icons. The Seating Chart view lets you arrange your students in the Classroom tab like they are seated in your classroom.

2) Student List view - Shows students listed in a table with some of their account information. The Student List view lets you sort students by display name, first name, last name, user name, and student ID.

3) Student Portfolio View - Displays students listed in a table with scores associated with each assignment that you have included in the Student Portfolio.

View selector. Lets you toggle between the Seating Chart view and

the Student List view.

Tools tab

The Tools tab contains three main sections, including The Activity Center and Networked Software, Tasks, and Utilities. Each section contains icons that link to a particular tool in the TI-Navigator™ software.

4 Getting started with TI-Navigator

Ê Networked software icons. Icons that let you launch the TI Computer

Applications (Apps) that you can use with the TI-Navigator™ software, including Class Analysis and LearningCheck™ Creator. You must have these Apps installed on your computer in order to launch them from the TI-Navigator™ system.

Ë Activity Center icon. Icon that launches the Activity Center tool, a TI-Navigator™ tool you can use to create and run interactive activities with your class.

Tasks icons. Icons that launch task tools in the TI-Navigator™ software,

including Send to class, Collect from class, Delete from class, the Screen Capture tool, and the Quick Poll tool.

Utilities icons. Icons that launch utilities in the TI-Navigator™

software, including the App and OS Transfer tool and Network Manager.

Current Class

Current Class lets you select classes you have created, as well as begin and end class sessions for the selected class. Below you can see an example of the Current Class with its main parts labeled.

Class list. A drop-down list where you can select a class from the ones

you have created. The Class list is disabled when you have a class session running.

Getting started with TI-Navigator 5

Ë Begin/End Class button. Button that lets you begin or end a class

session.

Class Record

The Class Record contains both the current and historical activity for the selected class. Below you can see an example of the Class Record with its main parts labeled.

Í Î Ï

Ê File deletion. The deletion of a file from your students’ calculators,

indicated by the symbol.

File transfer. The transfer of files between your computer and your

students’ calculators. Arrows beside files indicate file transfers. The symbol indicates transfers from your computer to your class’s calculators.

The symbol indicates transfers from your class’s calculators to your computer. File transfers remain current until all students receive the file, you stop the transfer, or you end the class session.

Status. The progress of an action. For example, “23 of 25” indicates

that 23 out of 25 students have received a file.

Unprompted from Class folder. A folder that contains the files

students have sent to you that were not part of a collect action.

Current action. An action (for example, send) that is still active.

Historic action. An action (for example, send) that is inactive. Historic

actions are disabled.

Remove From Record button. Button that lets you remove selected

historic or active actions from the Class Record. You can remove a single action or multiple actions.

6 Getting started with TI-Navigator

TI-Navigator computer tools

The TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system contains tools that you can use to interact with your students from your computer. Some of the tools are part of the TI-Navigator™ system, while other tools are optional. This section describes different tools you can use in the TI-Navigator™ system, as well as how to launch them.

The TI-Navigator computer tools

Activity Center – Contains various activities you can use to interact with

your students during your lessons. With the Activity Center tool, you can run interactive activities with your class involving lists, graphs, points, and equations.

App and OS Transfer – Lets you install TI Graphing Calculator Applications (Apps) on your students’ calculators.

Class Analysis – Lets you collect and analyze answers to assignments, as well as use a slide show to review the results with your students. Class Analysis is an optional tool. If you do not install it, then you cannot launch it in the TI-Navigator™ system.

LearningCheck Creator – Lets you create assignments to run on TI calculators and send the assignments to your students.

Network Manager – Lets you activate access points and hubs and resolve network problems.

Quick Poll – Lets you send polls to your students and receive their poll responses.

Screen Capture – Lets you capture your students’ calculator screens and display them on your computer.

To launch TI-Navigator computer tools

1. Click View > Tools or click the Tools tab.

The Tools tab opens.

Getting started with TI-Navigator 7

2. If the tool you want to launch is inactive, begin the class session.

3. Click the icon of the tool you want to launch.

Note: You can also launch many of these tools from the Tools menu.

Creating and managing your teacher account

You can create your teacher account in the Teacher Preferences section of the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system. Your teacher account lets you log in to the TI-Navigator™r network from your calculator. After you create your teacher account, you can later change your password or your user name.

To create your teacher account

1. If you have a class session running, end it.

2. Click

8 Getting started with TI-Navigator

Tools > Teacher Preferences or click Teacher Preferences .

The Teacher Preferences dialog box opens.

3. Enter a user name.

4. Enter a password.

5. Select or deselect the preference for the teacher icon to appear in the classroom view.

If you select this preference, the teacher icon will appear in the classroom view, and you will be included as a recipient in Send to Class, Collect from Class and Delete from Class operations. The teacher calculator screen will be included in screen captures of the class.

6. Select or deselect the option for transfers to be forced by default.

If you select this option, all file transfers will be forced to student calculators, unless you specifically deselect the option for a given file transfer.

7. Click

OK.

To change the password of your teacher account

1. Make sure you are not logged in to the TI-Navigator™ network on your calculator.

2. Click

Tools > Teacher Preferences or click Teacher Preferences .

The Teacher Preferences dialog box opens.

Getting started with TI-Navigator 9

3. Click Reset.

The TI-Navigator™ software clears the current password.

4. Enter a new password.

5. Click

OK.

10 Getting started with TI-Navigator

To change the user name of your teacher account

1. Make sure you are not logged in to the TI-Navigator™ network on your calculator.

2. Click

Tools > Teacher Preferences or click Teacher Preferences .

The Teacher Preferences dialog box opens.

3. Enter a new user name.

4. Click

OK.

Using calculator screen options

The TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system has a number of options you and your students can use from your calculator screens. To select an option defined at the bottom of the calculator screen (such as associated with the o key), press the graph key directly below the option.

Mark

Press a key to select one of these options. For example, press to select Mark.

Getting started with TI-Navigator 11

Logging in to TI-Navigator on your calculator

The TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system uses both your computer and your students’ calculators. Your computer and your students’ calculators communicate through the TI-Navigator™ network. You do not have to log in to the TI-Navigator™ network on your computer to communicate with your students. However, if you plan to participate from your calculator during the TI-Navigator class session, then you must also log in to the TI-Navigator™ network from your calculator.

Before you log in

Create your teacher account in Teacher Preferences.

To log in to the TI-Navigator network

1. If you have not already done so, begin the class session on your computer.

2. On your calculator, press Apps.

The Applications menu opens.

3. Select

4. Press any key on your calculator.

12 Getting started with TI-Navigator

NavNet from the list of applications.

The NavNet screen opens.

The Login screen opens.

5. Enter your user name and password.

Note: TI-73 Explorer™ users, press -t to type text characters.

6. Select OK.

The TI-Navigator™ Home screen opens. From the TI-Navigator™ Home screen, you can use the TI-Navigator™ activities, network apps, quick poll tool, and transfer capabilities.

Logging in to TI-Navigator (student instruction)

Your computer and your students’ calculators communicate through the TI-Navigator™ network. In order for you and your students to communicate using this network, your students must log in to the network from their calculators. Below you can find instructions you can use to tell your students how to log in to the TI-Navigator™ network.

Before your students log in

• Create your students’ accounts.

• Provide your students with their user names and, if necessary, their passwords.

Student Point of View: The steps below are from the student’s

point of view.

To log in to the TI-Navigator network

1. On your calculator, press Apps.

The Applications menu opens.

Getting started with TI-Navigator 13

2. Select NavNet from the list of applications.

The NavNet screen opens.

Note: If you attempt to log in to a class using a calculator other than the type of calculator that is being used for the class, you will receive an error message. (For example, you cannot log in to a class designed for the TI-73 Explorer™ using a TI-84 Plus Silver Edition.)

3. Press any key on your calculator.

The Login screen opens.

4. Enter your user name and password.

Note: If you do not know your user name or password, ask your

teacher.

5. Select

OK.

The TI-Navigator™ Home screen opens. From the TI-Navigator™ Home screen, you can use the TI-Navigator™ activities, network apps, and transfer capabilities.

14 Getting started with TI-Navigator

The TI-Navigator calculator home screen

In the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system, the home screen on the calculator provides the tools your students need to interact with you using the TI-Navigator™ network. You can also use the TI-Navigator™ calculator home screen to interact with your students. Below you can see an example of the TI-Navigator™ calculator home screen with its main parts labeled.

Note: The calculator home screen shown below is from a student’s

calculator. When you log in to your calculator using your teacher account, your calculator has additional options.

Ê Task menu. Contains a list of the tasks you and your students can

perform on your calculators. The task menu on your teacher calculator contains a Quick Poll task not shown in this picture.

User name. The name of the student logged in to the TI-Navigator™

network.

Task bar. Contains the Quit option. To select the Quit option, you must

press the calculator key underneath it.

TI-Navigator calculator tools

The TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system contains several calculator tools that you and your students can use from the NavNet App on your calculators. This section describes the different tools both you and your students can use, as well as how to launch them.

Getting started with TI-Navigator 15

The TI-Navigator calculator tools

Activity Center – Lets you and your students participate in the activities

that you send during the Activity Center tool’s sessions.

Network Apps – Lets you and your students open installed TI Graphing Calculator Software Applications (Apps) that can connect to the TI-Navigator™ network.

Quick Poll – Lets you send polls to your students from your calculator. This option is only available on your (the teacher’s) calculator.

Transfers – Lets you and your students exchange files with each other.

To launch TI-Navigator calculator tools

1. If you have not already done so, begin the class session.

2. Log in to your calculator.

3. Press the number of the calculator tool you want to launch.

16 Getting started with TI-Navigator

Managing classes

The TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system typically includes one or more classes. In order to use the TI-Navigator™ system, you need to create and use classes for each class period that you teach. This section contains the information you need to create and effectively manage your classes.

Creating classes

When you start using the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system, one of the first things you should do is create your classes. Make sure you create a class for each of the class periods you plan to teach with the TI-Navigator™ system.

To create classes

1. If you have a class session running, end it.

2. Click

3. Enter a class name.

4. Select a class type.

5. Click

File > Add Class or click Add Class .

The Create a Class dialog box opens.

Add Class.

Note: Once you select a class type and add the class, the class created

will only work with the device type specified.

The new class appears in the Create a Class dialog box.

Managing classes 17

6. (Optional) Import students into the class:

a) Click the class.

b) Click

Import Students.

The Open dialog box opens.

c) Select the file that contains the students you want to

import.

Note: The file can be a CSV file or comma/tab delimited text

file.

d) Click Open.

The Import Status dialog box opens telling you how many students the TI-Navigator™ system successfully imported.

e) (Optional) If some students did not import successfully, click

View Details to determine the problem.

18 Managing classes

The details of the import open in the Import Status dialog box.

f) Click

Note: For more information on importing student data from a file,

see the TI-Navigator™ software tour “Importing Students.pdf” on your installation CD.

7. If you need to create another class, repeat steps 3 - 5.

8. Click Finish.

OK.

Selecting a class

You can create many classes in the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system. To view or start a class, you must select it from a list of the classes in the Current Class section of the TI-Navigator™ computer home screen.

To select a class

1. If you have a class session running, end it.

2. Click File > Select Class.

A list of classes opens.

3. Click the class you want.

The TI-Navigator™ system displays the information for the selected class.

Note: You can view and edit information in the selected class,

however, you cannot perform any network activities until you begin the class.

Managing classes 19

Beginning and ending class sessions

A class session is the period when the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system is active for a specific class. While a class session is running, you can perform TI-Navigator™ communications functions with the selected class. You cannot use the TI-Navigator™ system to interact with your class until you begin a class session, and you cannot begin another class in the TI-Navigator™ system until you end the current one.

To begin class sessions

1. If you have a class session running, end it.

2. From the Current Class drop-down list, select the class you want to begin.

3. Click

File > Begin Class or click Begin Class .

To end class sessions

f Click

File > End Class or click End Class .

Changing the class view

In the Classroom tab, you can view the selected class in either the Student List view or the Seating Chart view. The Student List view shows your students in a table that contains their display names, first name, last name, user name, and student ID. The Seating Chart view shows your students as student icons with display names. You can change the class view at any time.

To change class view to Student List

1. Click the Classroom tab.

The Classroom tab opens.

Note: The contents of the Classroom tab vary depending on the

selected class and view.

20 Managing classes

2. In the menu, click View > Classroom > Student List.

-or-

In the Classroom tab, click

View > Student List.

The Classroom tab changes the class view to Student List.

To change the class view to Seating Chart

1. Click the Classroom tab.

The Classroom tab opens.

Note: The contents of the Classroom tab vary depending on the

selected class and view.

Managing classes 21

2. In the menu, click View > Classroom > Seating Chart.

-or-

In the Classroom tab, click

View > Seating Chart.

The Classroom tab changes the class view to Seating Chart.

To change the class view to Student Portfolio

1. Click the Classroom tab.

The Classroom tab opens.

Note: The contents of the Classroom tab vary depending on the

selected class and view.

22 Managing classes

2. In the menu, click View > Classroom > Student Portfolio.

-or-

In the Classroom tab, click

The Classroom tab changes the class view to Student Portfolio.

View > Student Portfolio.

Removing items from the Class Record

The Class Record maintains a list of all of the actions you have performed in your class. Items remain in this list until you remove the items or you remove the class. You can remove items from the Class Record at any time.

To remove items from the Class Record

1. In the Class Record, click the item you want to remove.

Managing classes 23

The TI-Navigator™ system highlights the selected item in the Class Record.

2. Click Edit > Remove From Record or click Remove From Record.

Note: If you are removing an item that is still in progress, the

Remove From Record dialog box opens asking if you are sure you want to remove the item. Click Remove.

Removing classes

If you have a class you no longer need, you can remove it from the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system. When you remove a class, the TI-Navigator™ system removes the class from the software and removes the file on the hard drive that correspond to that class. If you have students who are not part of any other classes, the software removes those students from the software as well.

Note: You cannot undo the removal of a class.

To remove classes

1. If you have a class session running, end it.

2. From the Current Class drop-down list, select the class you want to remove.

The TI-Navigator™ system shows the selected class in the Current Class field.

3. Click

4. Click

24 Managing classes

File > Remove Class.

The TI-Navigator™ system asks if you are sure you want to remove the class.

Remove.

Managing student accounts

The TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system typically contains many student accounts associated with one or more classes. Each of your students must have an account to access the TI-Navigator™ system on their calculators. This section contains information on creating and managing your students’ accounts.

Adding students to classes

Once you create your classes, you will want to add students to them. You can add students to your classes at any time.

Note: The instructions below explain how to add students once you

create a class. You can also add students when you create a class by importing them.

To add students to classes

1. Select the class to which you want to add the students.

Note: If you have a class session running, you must end it to select

the class.

2. Click

3. Enter the student’s first name.

4. Enter the student’s last name.

5. Enter a user name.

6. If you want your student to create their own password, select

Managing student accounts 25

Class > Add Student or click Add Student .

The Add Student dialog box opens.

Note: The user name you choose must be unique. It cannot exist in

the current class or any other class.

Student Chooses.

-or-

If you want to create a password for your student, select the blank password entry box and enter a new password.

7. (Optional) Enter a display name.

Note: If you leave the display name blank, the TI-Navigator™ system

uses the student’s first name as the display name.

8. (Optional) Enter a student ID.

9. (Optional) Assign the student to other classes:

a) Click

Assign Classes.

The Assign Classes dialog box opens.

b) Select the check boxes of the student’s classes.

c) Clear the check boxes of the classes to which the student

does not belong.

d) Click

10. If you need to add another student, click

OK.

Add Next Student and

repeat steps 3 - 9.

11. Click Finish.

26 Managing student accounts

Checking student login status

The TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system lets you view the your students’ login status from the Classroom tab. The color of the icon by your students’ display names indicates their login status as well as the class status:

Icon Class status Student status

Class session not started. N/A

Class session started. Student not logged in.

Class session started. Student logged in.

Your students can also have an App exited status that is not indicated in the TI-Navigator™ window. The App exited status occurs when students exit the NavNet App on their calculators but are still logged in to the TI-Navigator™ network. While students are in an App exited state, they can only receive forced actions and respond to screen shot requests. They cannot participate in any other TI-Navigator™ action until they open the NavNet App again.

Arranging the seating chart

Initially, the Classroom tab arranges the students in the Seating Chart view in the order that you added them. However, you can rearrange the students so that they have the same seating arrangement in the Classroom tab as they do in your actual classroom. You can rearrange the seating chart at any time.

To arrange students in the seating chart

1. Select the students’ class.

Note: If you have a class session running, you must end it to select

the class.

2. In the menu, click View > Classroom > Seating Chart.

The Classroom tab opens displaying your class in the Seating Chart view.

Managing student accounts 27

3. Within the Classroom tab, drag each student’s icon to the location that you want.

The TI-Navigator™ software moves the student icons to the new locations.

Note: Do not place one student’s icon on top of another students’

icon. If you do this, you will only be able to see one of the student’s icons.

Sorting student information

The Student List view in the Classroom tab shows the information for students in the selected class. It includes your students’ display names, first names, last names, user names, and student IDs. In the Student List view, you can sort your students’ information by each of these categories. The TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system sorts the information alphabetically from A-Z or Z-A and numerically from 1-9 or 9-1. You can sort student information at any time.

To sort student information

1. Select the class that contains the student information you want to sort.

Note: If you have a class session running, you must end it to select

the class.

2. In the menu, click View > Classroom > Student List.

The Classroom tab opens displaying the Student List view.

28 Managing student accounts

3. Click the column title of the list you want to sort.

The TI-Navigator™ system sorts the selected list.

4. If you want to sort the selected information in the opposite order, click the column title again.

Using the Student Portfolio view

The Student Portfolio view in the Classroom tab displays a list of students in the selected class with the scores they have received for each assignment included in the Student Portfolio. The class average for each assignment displays on the top line of the portfolio.

To view the Student Portfolio

1. Select the class that contains the student portfolio you want to view.

Note: If you have a class session running, you must end it to select

the class.

2. In the menu, click View > Classroom > Student Portfolio.

The Classroom tab opens displaying the Student Portfolio view.

Managing student accounts 29

To view student information

f Double-click the student name to view and change student

properties.

Sorting information in the portfolio view

1. Click the column title of the list you want to sort.

The TI-Navigator™ system sorts the selected list.

2. If you want to sort the selected information in the opposite order, click the column title again.

To add a student to the portfolio view

1. Click to add a student to the portfolio view.

The student properties dialog box displays.

2. Complete the student information and click OK.

The student is added to the portfolio view.

To add or remove students from the portfolio view

1. Click to select the name of the student you wish to add to to the portfolio view.

2. Click to remove the student.

30 Managing student accounts

A dialog box displays to confirm that you want to remove the student.

3. Click OK.

The student is removed from the portfolio view.

Note: Removing the student from the portfolio view does not remove the student from the class.

To view assignment details

f Click the assignment name and right-click to open and view

the .caf file.

To include an assignment in the Student Portfolio

1. Locate the Class Analysis (.caf) file that includes the assignment you want to display in the Student Portfolio view.

2. Copy or save the .caf file to the Student Portfolio directory for the class.

To view the location of the Student Portfolio files

1. Select Class > Properties

The Class Properties dialog box displays the location of the Student Portfolio files.

To change the location of the Student Portfolio files

1. Select Class > Properties

The Class Properties dialog box appears.

Managing student accounts 31

2. Click Change next to the Student Portfolio File Location text field, and navigate to the directory where you want to store the Student Portfolio files.

3. Click

OK to change the file location.

Resetting student passwords

The TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system maintains the privacy of your students’ passwords. Because of this, you cannot retrieve passwords for your students if they forget them. However, if necessary you can reset your students’ passwords. You can reset passwords for all of the students in a class or for individual students.

Note: You cannot reset the passwords of students who are currently

logged in to the TI-Navigator™ network.

To reset passwords for all students in a class

1. Select the students’ class.

Note: If you have a class session running, you must end it to select

the class.

2. Click the Classroom tab.

The Classroom tab opens.

3. Click a student in the class.

4. Click

5. Click Class > Reset Password(s).

32 Managing student accounts

Edit > Select All.

The TI-Navigator™ system selects all of the students in the class.

The Confirm Reset Passwords dialog box opens.

6. Click OK.

7. The next time your students log in, instruct them to enter passwords of their choosing.

To reset student passwords for individual students

1. Select a class of the student whose password you want to reset.

Note: If you have a class session running, you must end it to select

the class.

2. Click the Classroom tab.

The Classroom tab opens.

Note: The contents of the Classroom tab vary depending on the

selected class and view.

3. Click the student you want to edit.

4. Click

Class > Edit Student or click Edit Student .

The Student Properties dialog box opens.

Managing student accounts 33

5. Click Reset.

6. If you want the student to create his or her own password, select

Student Chooses.

-or-

If you want to create a specific password for the student, select the blank password entry box and enter a new password.

7. Click

8. The next time the student logs in:

OK.

The TI-Navigator™ system resets the student’s password.

• If you selected Student Chooses, instruct the student to enter a password of his or her choosing.

• If you created a password for the student, tell the student the new password.

Changing the classes of a student

Occasionally your students may move to a different class, or they may take more than one of your classes. The TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system lets you change your students’ classes when necessary.

Note: You cannot change the classes of students who are logged in to

the TI-Navigator™ network.

To change a student’s classes

1. Select a class to which the student belongs.

Note: If you have a class session running, you must end it to select

the class.

2. Click the Classroom tab.

The Classroom tab opens.

Note: The contents of the Classroom tab vary depending on the

selected class and view.

34 Managing student accounts

3. Click the student you want to edit.

4. Click

Class > Edit Student or click Edit Student .

The Student Properties dialog box opens.

5. Click

Assign Classes.

The Assign Classes dialog box opens.

6. Select the check boxes of the student’s classes.

7. Clear the check boxes of the classes to which the student does not belong.

8. Click

Managing student accounts 35

OK.

9. In the Student Properties dialog box, click OK.

Changing student names and identifiers

After you add your students, you may find that you need to change one of their names or identifiers. In the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system, there are five different names and identifiers associated with your students, including:

• First name

•Last name

• User name

• Display name

• Student ID

This section covers how to change any of these types of names and identifiers.

Note: You cannot change the account information of students who are

logged in to the TI-Navigator™ network.

To change a student’s names or identifiers

1. Select a class to which the student belongs.

Note: If you have a class session running, you must end it to select

the class.

2. Click the Classroom tab.

The Classroom tab opens.

Note: The contents of the Classroom tab vary depending on the

selected class and view.

3. Click the student you want to edit.

4. Click

36 Managing student accounts

Class > Edit Student or click Edit Student .

The Student Properties dialog box opens.

5. Click the field of the name or identifier you want to change.

6. Make the necessary changes.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for any other names or identifiers you want to change.

8. Click

OK.

Moving a student to another class

If any of your students move to a different class, you can move them within the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system as well.

Note: You cannot move students who are logged in to the TI-Navigator™

network.

To move a student

1. Select a class to which the student belongs.

Note: If you have a class session running, you must end it to select

the class.

2. Click the student you want to move.

3. Click

4. From the Current Class drop-down list, select the class where you

5. Click

Managing student accounts 37

Edit > Cut or click Cut .

The TI-Navigator™ system removes the student from the class and places his or her student account information on the Clipboard.

want to move the student.

Edit > Paste or click Paste .

The TI-Navigator™ system moves the student to the selected class.

Copying a student to another class

When you have students in more than one of your classes, you may find it convenient to simply copy them from one class to another. Copying students saves you the time of entering all of their information again.

Note: You cannot copy students who are logged in to the TI-Navigator™

network.

To copy a student

1. Select a class to which the student belongs.

Note: If you have a class session running, you must end it to select

the class.

2. Click the student you want to copy.

3. Click Edit > Copy or click Copy .

The TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system copies the student onto the Clipboard.

4. From the Current Class drop-down list, select the class to which you want to copy the student.

5. Click

Edit > Paste or click Paste .

The TI-Navigator™ software copies the student to the selected class.

Removing a student from a class

As necessary, you can remove students from your classes. When you remove students, the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system only removes them from the selected class. If the students are in other classes, then they remain in those classes.

Notes:

• You cannot remove students who are logged in to the TI-Navigator™

network.

• You cannot undo the removal of students.

To remove a student from a class

1. Select the class from which you want to remove the student.

Note: If you have a class session running, you must end it to select

the class.

2. Click the Classroom tab.

38 Managing student accounts

The Classroom tab opens.

Note: The contents of the Classroom tab vary depending on the

selected class and view.

3. Click the student you want to remove.

4. Click Class > Remove Student or click Remove Student .

The TI-Navigator™ software asks if you are sure you want to remove the student.

5. Click Ye s.

The TI-Navigator™ software removes the student.

Managing student accounts 39

40 Managing student accounts

Exchanging files with students

The TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system lets you exchange information with the students in your classes. From the TI-Navigator™ system, you can send files to your students and collect files from your students, as well as delete files from your students’ calculators. Your students can send files to you and receive files from you. This section covers the different ways to work with files in the TI-Navigator™ system, and includes both instructions for you to use and instructions for you to give your students.

Sending files

You can send calculator-compatible files (such as lists and EDC files) to your students’ calculators from your computer or your calculator. Choosing the location that you want to send files from depends on the location of your files and the number of choices you want about where you send the files. If you choose to send the files from your calculator, then you send files to your whole class forced. When you send files from your computer, you have two choices that are not available when you send from your calculator. You can:

• Send files to your whole class, members of the class currently logged in, or to individual students.

• Send files forced or unforced. If you send files unforced, students must receive the files from the transfers screen. If you force send the files, the students’ calculators receive the files immediately.

All the files you collect, acquire, or send from a calculator contain a setting in their file properties that specifies where the file came from on the calculator (RAM or Archive). By default, the TI-Navigator™ software uses the file’s settings to determine where to send the file. For example, if you collected a file from a calculator’s RAM, when you send the file the TI-Navigator™ software will send it to RAM. However, if you send the file from your computer, then you can select where the TI-Navigator™ software sends the file by changing the file’s settings in Windows®.

You can find the following instructions below:

• To change file settings in Windows®

• To send files from your computer

• To send files from your calculator

To change file settings in Windows®

1. In Windows®, navigate to the location of the file and click it.

Exchanging files with students 41

2. Click File > Properties.

The Properties dialog box opens.

3. Click the

TI File Properties tab.

The TI File Properties tab opens.

4. At the bottom of the dialog box, click the area of calculator memory where you want the TI-Navigator™ software to send the file.

5. Click

OK.

To send files from your computer

1. If you have not already done so, begin the class session.

2. Click

Tools > Send to class or click Send to class .

42 Exchanging files with students

The Select file(s) to send dialog box opens.

Note: The default file filter is set according to the class type (TI-73 or

TI-83). Only appropriate file types will be sent.

3. Navigate to the file you want to send and click it.

Note: You can also drag and drop files from a Windows® Explorer

window onto the TI-Navigator™ window to send files.

4. Click Next.

The Select student(s) dialog box opens.

5. Select the student(s) to whom you want to send the file:

• To send the file to the whole class, click

Class . To send the

file only to class members who are currently logged in, check the

Logged in Students only checkbox.

Exchanging files with students 43

• To send the file to an individual student, click Students and

then click the student.

Note: If you had any students selected in the Classroom tab, the

TI-Navigator™ software already has them selected.

6. If you want your students’ calculators to receive the file immediately, click Force send to students now.

7. Click Finish.

If you force sent the file, the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system transfers the file from your computer to the selected students’ calculators. If the students are not logged in, the TI-Navigator™ software transfers the file upon log in.

If you sent the files unforced, students can receive the file from the transfer screen after they log in to their calculators.

The file transfer appears in the Class Record.

Once students receive the file, they can open it on their calculators.

To send files from your calculator

1. If you have not already done so, begin the class session.

2. On your calculator, log in to the TI-Navigator™ network.

3. From the TI-Navigator™ calculator home screen, select

3: TRANSFERS.

The Transfers screen opens.

4. Select

1: SEND TO CLASS.

The Send Var screen opens.

Note: The list of valid items to transfer varies according to device type.

44 Exchanging files with students

5. Navigate to the file type you want to send and press Enter.

The Send Var Selection screen opens.

Note: The Send Var Selection screen varies depending on the option

you choose and the files on your calculator.

6. Navigate to the file you want to send and press

Enter.

A check mark appears next to the file.

7. Repeat step 6 for each file you want to send.

8. Select

Send.

The Transfers Complete screen opens after the TI-Navigator™ software sends the file(s) to the calculators of all of the students in your class.

The file transfer appears in the Class Record when you view the TI-Navigator™ software on your computer.

Exchanging files with students 45

After your students log in to the TI-Navigator™ network, they can receive the file from their transfer screen. Once they receive the file, they can open it on their calculators.

Sending files (student instruction)

Your students may send files to you both during and outside of a collection. Students can manually send files to you when you perform an unforced collection. Students can send files to you outside a collection (unprompted) at any time during a class session. Below you can find instructions you can use to tell your students how to send files during a collection and how to send files unprompted.

Student Point of View: The steps below are from the student’s

point of view.

To send files during collections

1. If you have not already done so, log in to the TI-Navigator™ network.

2. Select 3: TRANSFERS.

The Transfers screen opens.

3. Select

1: AUTO SEND/RECEV.

The TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system searches for the requested files and then uploads them to your teacher’s computer.

To send files outside of collections

1. If you have not already done so, log in to the TI-Navigator™ network.

2. Select 3: TRANSFERS.

The Transfers screen opens.

46 Exchanging files with students

3. Select 2: SEND TO TEACHER.

The Send Var screen opens.

Note: The list of valid items to transfer varies by device type.

4. Navigate to the file type you want to send and press

Enter.

The Send Var Selection screen opens.

Note: The contents of the Send Var Selection screen vary depending

on the option you choose and the files on your calculator.

5. Navigate to the file you want to send and press

Enter.

A check mark appears next to the file.

6. Repeat step 5 for each file you want to send.

7. Select

SEND.

The TI-Navigator™ software sends the file(s) to your teacher’s computer and notifies you when the transfer is complete.

Exchanging files with students 47

Collecting files

You can collect calculator-compatible files (such as lists, matrices, and EDC files) from your students’ calculators to your computer. You can have a forced or unforced file collection. When you collect files unforced, students must send the files from their transfers screen. When you force collect files, the students’ calculators send the files immediately. You also have the option of deleting the collected files from your students’ calculators.

To collect files

1. If you have not already done so, begin the class session.

2. Click

3. If you want a file already listed in the dialog box, navigate to the file

48 Exchanging files with students

Tools > Collect from class or click Collect from class .

The Select file(s) to collect dialog box opens.

Note: Only valid items for the class type are displayed.

you want to collect and click it.

-or-

If you want a custom file not in the dialog box:

a) Click CUSTOM.

The options for custom files open.

b) Enter the file name.

c) From the drop-down list, select the file type.

d) Click Add.

4. Click

Next.

The Select student(s) dialog box opens.

5. Select the student(s) from whom you want to collect the file:

• To collect the file from the whole class, click Class .

• To collect the file from an individual student, click

Students

and then click the student.

Note: If you had any students selected in the Classroom tab, the

TI-Navigator™ software already has them selected.

6. If you want to force collect the file, select Force collect from

students now

7. If you want to remove the file from the students’ calculators after you collect it, select Delete from device after collecting.

8. Click

Next.

The Select collect folder dialog box opens.

Exchanging files with students 49

9. Navigate to the collect folder you want and click it.

10. Click

Finish.

If you force collected the file, the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system collects the files from the selected students’ calculators to your computer.

If you collect the file unforced, students can send you the file from the transfer screen after they log in to their calculators.

The file transfer appears in the Class Record.

Receiving files (student instruction)

If you do not force send files to your students, then they must manually receive the files on their calculators. Below you can find instructions you can use to tell them how to receive the files.

Student Point of View: The steps below are from the student’s

point of view.

To receive files

1. If you have not already done so, log in to the TI-Navigator™ network.

The TI-Navigator™ Home screen opens.

50 Exchanging files with students

2. Select 3: TRANSFERS.

The Transfers screen opens.

3. Select

1: AUTO SEND/RECV.

The TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system searches for sent files and then downloads them to your calculator.

Deleting files from calculators

When necessary, you can delete files from your students’ calculators. You can have a forced or unforced file deletion. If your file deletion is unforced, students must delete the files from their Transfers screen using Auto Send/Recv. If you force delete the files, the software immediately deletes the files from your students’ calculators.

To delete files from calculators

1. If you have not already done so, begin the class session.

2. Click

Tools > Delete from class or click Delete from class .

The Select file(s) to delete dialog box opens.

Note: Only valid items for the class type are displayed.

Exchanging files with students 51

3. If you want to delete file already listed in the dialog box, navigate to the file you want to collect and click it.

-or-

If you want delete a custom file not in the dialog box:

a) Click

CUSTOM.

The options for custom files open.

b) Enter the file name.

c) From the drop-down list, select the file type.

d) Click Add.

4. Click Next.

The Select student(s) dialog box opens.

52 Exchanging files with students

5. Select the student(s) whose files you want to delete:

• To delete the file from the whole class’s calculators, click Class

• To delete the file from an individual student’s calculator, click

Students and then click the student.

Note: If you had any students selected in the Classroom tab, the

TI-Navigator™ software already has them selected.

6. If you want to force delete the file, click Force delete from students .

now

7. Click Finish.

If you force deleted the file, the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system deletes the file from your students’ calculators.

If you deleted the file unforced, students can delete the file from the transfer screen (Auto Send/Recv) after they log in to their calculators.

The file deletion appears in the Class Record.

Checking the status of file transfers

When you are sending or collecting files, you may want to check to see which of your students have received or sent their files.

Exchanging files with students 53

To check the status of file transfers

1. Click the Classroom tab.

The Classroom tab opens.

Note: The contents of the Classroom tab vary depending on the

selected class and view.

2. In the Class Record, click the file whose status you want to check.

The TI-Navigator™ software indicates the status of your students as follows:

• A green background indicates that students have sent/received the file.

• A yellow background indicates that a student received the collect or delete action, but they do not have the file on their calculator.

• A red background indicates that students have not yet sent/received/deleted the file.

Note: You can also see the file transfer status in the file’s Properties

dialog box.

Canceling file transfers

If you change your mind about a file transfer, you can cancel the transfer in the Class Record. Canceling file transfers stops the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system from transferring more files. Any files the TI-Navigator™ system transfers before you cancel remain on the students’ calculators.

54 Exchanging files with students

To cancel file transfers

1. In the Class Record, click the file whose transfer you want to cancel.

2. Click Edit > Remove From Class Record or click Remove From Class

Record

The TI-Navigator™ software asks if you’re sure you want to remove the action.

3. Click Remove.

The TI-Navigator™ software stops the file transfer and removes the file from the Class Record list.

Finding transferred files

You can find the locations of both collected and unprompted files on your computer, as well as files that you have sent to your class.

To find transferred files

1. In the Class Record, click the file you want to open.

2. Click Edit > Open Location.

A Windows® Explorer dialog box opens to the location of the file.

Changing the unprompted file location

By default, the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system stores unprompted files in My Documents\My TI-Navigator\[Class Name]\Collect. You can change the default location of the unprompted files when necessary.

To change the unprompted file location

1. If you have a class session running, end it.

2. Select the class whose default file location you want to change.

3. Click

Exchanging files with students 55

Class > Class Properties.

The Class Properties dialog box opens.

4. Click

5. Navigate to the location you want as the default.

6. Click

7. In the Class Properties dialog box, click

Change.

The Select Directory dialog box opens.

Select Directory.

The Select Directory window closes.

OK.

The TI-Navigator™ software changes the location where it saves unprompted files to the one you have selected.

Viewing file properties

Each file that you send or collect has a set of properties that you can view. These properties include the file’s name, size, date sent, and status. You can view the file properties at any time.

To view file properties in TI-Navigator

1. Select the class with the file in its the Class Record.

Note: If you have a class session running, you must end it to select

the class.

2. Click the file.

3. Click

56 Exchanging files with students

Edit > Record Item Properties or click Record Item Properties

The Properties dialog box opens displaying the file’s properties.

Exchanging files with students 57

58 Exchanging files with students

Running interactive activities

The Activity Center tool in the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system lets you run interactive activities with your students. With the Activity Center tool, you can teach your students about lists, graphs, and equations. You and your students can create and exchange activity data such as lists, plots, and equations. Once you have all of the activity data you need, you can use the Activity Center tool window to examine the data with your class. This section contains the information you need to know to use the Activity Center tool in your classroom.

Introduction to the Activity Center tool

You can run all of your activities in the Activity Center tool. The Activity Center tool lets you set up and use interactive activities with your students during your lessons. Below you can find some basic information on the Activity Center tool, including:

• The Activity Center tool window and tabs

• Opening the Activity Center tool

• Closing the Activity Center tool

The Activity Center tool window and tabs

The Activity Center window has several sets of controls and five tabs that you can use to run and view your activities. Below you can find the:

• Activity Center window

• List tab

•List - Graph tab

• Graph tab

• Graph - Equation tab

•Equation tab

• Number Line Activity window (for the TI-73 Explorer™ Family)

• Visual Fractions Activity window (For the TI-73 Explorer™ Family)

The parts of the window and tabs are labeled with explanations of each part.

Running interactive activities 59

Activity Center window

Ê Activity controls. Controls that let you configure, start, pause, and

stop your activities.

Quick Poll launcher. A button that lets you launch the Quick Poll tool

from the Activity Center tool.

Window controls. Controls that let you alter the Activity Center tool

window.

Graph controls. Controls that let you set the graph window properties,

including axes, axis labels, grid lines, point selection, pan and zoom.

Activity data tabs. Tabs that provide different views of Activity Center

tool data, including graphical, symbolic (equation), and numeric (list) views.

60 Running interactive activities

List tab

Create new list button. A button that opens the Create New Lists

dialog box where you can create new lists.

Data entry fields. Fields where you can enter list or point data for the

data set. Use the and buttons to enter fractions.

Data set table. Table that shows data sets of lists or points.

Running interactive activities 61

List - Graph tab

ÍÌ

Î Ï

Ê Create new list button. A button that opens the Create New Lists

dialog box where you can create new lists.

Frequency Plots button. Click this button to display a frequency plot

for a selected data set.

Graph controls. Controls that let you set the graph window properties,

including axes, axis labels, grid lines, point selection, pan and zoom.

Plot configuration button. Button that opens the Plot configuration

window, where you can configure plots for the data sets.

Data set list. Drop-down list where you can select the data set you

want to display.

Plot controls. Controls that let you select plots and turn plots on or off.

Data set table. Table that shows data sets of lists or points.

Point controls. Controls that let you show or hide points.

Graph window panning control. Control that lets you pan the graph

window. There are four controls in the List - Graph tab that let you pan the graph window up, down, right, and left.

62 Running interactive activities

Graph tab

Ê Graph controls. Controls that let you set the graph window properties,

including axes, axis labels, grid lines, point selection, pan and zoom.

Graph window panning control. Control that lets you pan the graph

window. There are four controls in the List - Graph tab that let you pan the graph window up, down, right, and left.

Running interactive activities 63

Graph - Equation tab

ÌÊË

Graph controls. Controls that let you set the graph window properties,

including axes, axis labels, grid lines, point selection, pan and zoom.

Graph window panning control. Control that lets you pan the graph

window. There are four controls in the Graph - Equation tab that let you pan the graph window up, down, right, and left.

Equation gallery. The list of equations, shown with their color and the

display name of their creator.

Equation entry field. Field where you can enter new equations. Use

the and buttons to enter fractions.

Equation controls. Controls that let you show or hide equations.

64 Running interactive activities

Equation tab

ÊË

Ê Equation entry field. Field where you can enter new equations. Use

the and buttons to enter fractions.

Table of values. Table where you can find the Y values of selected

equations.

Equation gallery. The list of equations, shown with their color and the

display name of their creator.

Equation controls. Controls that let you show or hide equations.

What-if table. Table where you can find the Y value of up to three X

values of your choice.

Running interactive activities 65

Number Line Activity window (for the TI-73 Explorer™ Family)

Ê Guide. Click and drag to move the guide to highlight selected points

on the number line. If you hold the Ctrl key while dragging the guide, it will snap to the endpoints of the selected vectors.

Student inputs. Points and vectors submitted by students display here.

Number line. Specify the min and max vaules using the entry field at

either endpoint.

Step Size. When the step size is in fraction form, the cursor value of

the guide will display in fraction form.

Student answers. Displays the vectors and/or answers supplied by

students.

Show/Hide buttons. Click a student’s name and click show or hide to

determine whether or not that student’s answers display on the screen.

66 Running interactive activities

Visual Fractions Activity window (For the TI-73 Explorer™ Family)

Ê Visual representation of student responses. Use the scrollbar to

display responses that do not fit on the screen.

Student input table. Numeric values of student responses. You can

change the display of the table to be decimal, fraction or percentage.

Number line. Displays student responses. Use the dropdown menu

below to change the display mode.

Display mode. Determines how the number line and student response

table display student responses. Specify Decimal, Fraction or Percentage.

Show/Hide buttons. Click a student’s name and click show or hide to

determine whether or not that student’s answers display on the screen.

Opening the Activity Center tool

You can open the Activity Center tool from the home screen of the TI-Navigator™ classroom learning system.

To open the Activity Center tool

1. If you have not already done so, begin the class session.

2. Click

Running interactive activities 67

Tools > Activity Center or click Activity Center .

The Activity Center tool window opens.

Closing the Activity Center tool

You can close the Activity Center tool from its window.

To close the Activity Center tool

f Click

File > Close or click Close .

Configuring activities

The Activity Center tool lets students contribute three kinds of mathematical data, including points, equations, and lists. You must configure the options for each of these types of data before you collect the data from your students. This section provides information on:

• Configuring equation options for activities

• Configuring point options for activities

• Configuring list options for activities

• Configuring form options for activities

• Configuring number line options for activities

• Configuring visual fraction options for activities

Configuring equation options for activities

Before you collect equations from your students, you need to configure the equation options for the activity. Below you can find instructions for configuring the equation options.

68 Running interactive activities

To configure equation options

1. If you have an activity running, stop it.

2. From the Contribute drop-down list, select Equations.

3. Click

4. Select or enter the number of equations you want each of your

5. Select or clear the

6. Select or clear the Let students resubmit equations check box.

7. Select or clear the

8. Select the equations with which you want your students to start.

Configure.

The Configure Calculators for Activity dialog box opens.

students to send.

Note: The maximum number of equations is limited to four for TI-73 classes.

Let students view graphs of equations check

box.

Note: If you select this option, students can view graphs of their

equations on their calculators.

Note: If you select this option, students can change and resend their

equations.

Send current graph contents as background

check box.

Note: If you select this option, when you start the activity the

Activity Center tool sends the current foreground image of your graph screen to your students’ calculators as a background image.

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9. If you selected Equations Below, enter the equations in the provided area.

10. Click OK.

Note: If you want your students to have specific graph window settings,

you should also set up the graph window settings before you start the activity. When you start the activity, the Activity Center tool sends the graph window settings to your students’ calculators.

Configuring point options for activities

Before you collect points from your students, you need to configure the point options for the activity. Below you can find instructions for configuring the point options.

To configure point options

1. If you have an activity running, stop it.

2. From the Contribute drop-down list, select Points.

3. Click

Configure.

The Configure Calculators for Activity dialog box opens.

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4. Select or enter the number of points you want each of your students to submit.

5. Select or enter the name for the X list.

6. Select or enter the name for the Y list.

7. Select or clear the

Note: If you select this option, students can view the coordinate

Display coordinates check box.

points of their cursor at the bottom of their calculator screens.

8. Select or clear the Let students resubmit points check box.

Note: If you select this option, students can change and resend their

points.

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9. Select or clear the Send current graph contents as background check box.

Note: If you select this option, when you start the activity the

Activity Center tool sends the current foreground image of your graph screen to your students’ calculators as a background image.

10. Select Step size

Note: The Step size must be greater than zero, but less than or equal

to .25 of the window range.

11. Select Starting point

Note: By default, the starting point is 0,0.

12. Select how you want students to submit their points.

13. Click

Note: If you want your students to have specific graph window settings,

OK.

you should also set up the graph window settings before you start the activity. When you start the activity, the Activity Center tool sends the graph window settings to your students’ calculators.

Configuring list options for activities

Before you collect lists from your students, you need to configure the list options for the activity. When you configure the list options, you can configure them for data sets or for independent lists. Configuring the list options for data sets lets you plot the data, while configuring the list options for independent lists does not. Below you can find instructions for configuring the options of both of these types of lists.

To configure list options for data sets

1. If you have an activity running, stop it.

2. In the Contribute drop-down list, select Lists.

3. Click

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Configure.

The Configure Calculators for Activity dialog box opens.

Notes:

• If you do not have any lists in the Activity Center tool, the Create

New Lists dialog box opens. This lets you define the names of the lists that store the data collected from your students. You must define the names of the lists to establish where the Activity Center tool stores the data collected from your students.

• The contents of the Configure Calculators for Activity dialog box

vary depending on which main settings you select (Choose from Data Sets or Choose from independent lists).

4. (Optional) Click Create New Lists and create new lists.

5. Select Choose from Data Sets.

6. From the data set drop-down list, select the data set where you want to add the collected data.

7. (Optional) Configure the plots:

a) Click

Configure Plots.

The Plot Options dialog box opens.

b) Next to the plot symbol that you want, select the lists for

your X and Y values.

c) Select the

Plot on device check box.

Note: Selecting this option makes the plot available for

viewing on your students’ calculators.

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d) If you want to configure another plot, repeat steps b - c.

e) Click OK.

Note: If you do not configure the plot here, then your students

cannot view the plot on their calculators.

8. Select or clear the Let students resubmit lists check box.

Note: If you choose this option, students can change and resend

their lists.

9. Select the lists containing the source data with which you want your students to start.

10. Click OK.

Note: If you want your students to have specific graph window settings,

you should also set up the graph window settings before you start the activity. When you start the activity, the Activity Center tool sends the graph window settings to your students’ calculators.

To configure list options for independent lists

1. If you have an activity running, stop it.

2. In the Contribute drop-down list, select Lists.

3. Click

Configure.

The Configure Calculators for Activity dialog box opens.

Notes:

• If you do not have any lists in the Activity Center tool, the Create

• The contents of the Configure Calculators for Activity dialog box

vary depending on which main settings you select (Choose from Data Sets or Choose from independent lists).

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4. Select Choose from independent lists.

5. Select the number of lists you want your students to submit.

6. From the drop-down lists, select the lists where you want to add the collected data.

7. Select or clear the

Note: If you select this option, students can view their data plotted

Let students view sequence plots check box.

as sequences on their calculators.

8. Select or clear the Let students resubmit lists check box.

Note: If you select this option, students can change and resend their

lists.

9. Select the lists containing the source data with which you want your students to start.

10. Click

Note: If you want your students to have specific graph window settings,

OK.

you should also set up the graph window settings before you start the activity. When you start the activity, the Activity Center tool sends the graph window settings to your students’ calculators.

Configuring form options for activities

1. If you have an activity running, stop it.

2. In the Contribute drop-down list, select

3. Click

Configure.

Form.

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The Configure Calculators for Activity dialog box opens.

4. From the drop-down list, select the number of pages (data sets) each student will contribute.

5. From the drop-down list, select the number of inputs per page.

6. Default values are suggested for Input and Destination list names. To change the default values, click inside the text field and enter the input names and destination list names for the form.

7. Select whether students submit data all at once, or one at a time.

If you select All at once, nothing will be submitted until a student has completed all of the data sets. If you select One at a time, each page of data (data set) will be sent when the student completes it.

Configuring number line options for activities

1. If you have an activity running, stop it.

2. In the Contribute drop-down list, select

3. Click Configure.

The Configure Calculators for Activity dialog box opens.

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Numberline.

4. Enter the expression or value that will display on student calculators in the Prompt field.

5. Use the dropdown to select the number of marks that students will be allowed to submit (maximum of four).

6. Check whether or not students will be allowed to resubmit marks.

7. Check whether or not students will be allowed to view the cursor location value.

8. Select whether student marks will submit number line vectors, or points on the number line.

9. Click

OK to continue.

Configuring visual fraction options for activities

1. If you have an activity running, stop it.

2. In the Contribute drop-down list, select

3. Click Configure.

The Configure Calculators for Activity dialog box opens.

Visual Fractions.

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4. Enter the text for the prompt that will display on student calculators (up to 20 characters).

5. Select the shape for student input. Possible values include:

– Shaded Circle

– Shaded Rectangle

– Shaded Square

– Shaded Triangle

– Shaded Hexagon

– Shaded Pentagon

Shaded shapes prompt the student to shade in a certain percentage of the shape. Shading occurs from bottom to top, as if the student were filling a glass except in the case of the Shaded Circle, where the studen will shade the circle in a clockwise motion starting at the top center.

– Divided Rectangle

– Divided Circle

The Divided Rectangle allows you to specify the number of divisions by defining the height and width for the rectangle. The width can be any number of squares between 1and 23. The height can be any number of squares between 1and 12.

The Divided Circle allows you to specify the number of divisions by defining the number of wedges. The number of wedges can be between 2 and 24.

6. If you have chosen a Divided Rectangle, enter a value for width (1-23).

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7. If you have chosen a Divided Rectangle, enter a value for height (1-12).

8. If you have chosen a Divided Circle, enter a value for number of wedges (max 24).

9. Check whether or not to allow students to resubmit estimates.

10. Click OK to continue.

Changing the graph window settings

When you use the graph in the Activity Center tool, you may need to make the graph window look different from its default appearance. There are a number of ways you can change the graph window’s appearance, including:

• Changing the graph window scale

• Changing the X and Y graph window ranges

• Turning graph window attributes on and off

• Creating axis labels

• Zooming in and out on the graph window

• Zooming to fit data sets (Zoom Stat)

• Making the grid of the graph window square (Zoom Square)

• Panning the graph window

• Changing the graphing pen color and width for equations

• Changing the appearance of students’ cursors

• Adding and removing background images for the graph window

Changing the graph window scale

When necessary, you can change the graph window’s scale. This controls the spacing of the tic marks on the axes and the spacing of the grid lines. You can change both the X scale and the Y scale.

Note: By default, both the X and the Y scale are 1.

To change the graph window scale

1. Click Edit > Edit Window Settings or click Edit Window Settings

The Window Settings dialog box opens.

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2. Click the X Scale box and enter a new setting.

3. Press the tab key to move to the Y Scale box and enter a new setting.

4. Click

OK.

The Activity Center tool applies the new X and Y scale settings to the graph.

Changing the X and Y graph window ranges

The X and Y graph limits control the range of X and Y values that the graph window shows. You can change the X and Y graph window ranges as necessary.

Notes:

• By default, the X and Y graph window ranges are X Min = -10, X Max = 10, Y Min = -10, Y Max = 10.

• The X and Y graph window ranges are sent to your students’ calculators when you start activities.

To change X and Y graph window ranges

1. Click Edit > Edit Window Settings or click Edit Window Settings

The Window Settings dialog box opens.

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2. Click the X Min box and enter a new X minimum setting.

3. Press the tab key to move to the X Max box and enter a new X maximum setting.

4. Press the tab key to move to the Y Min box and enter a new Y minimum setting.

5. Press the tab key to move to the Y Max box and enter a new Y maximum setting.

6. Click OK.

The Activity Center tool applies the new X and Y graph window ranges to the graph.

Turning graph window attributes on and off

If you want to, you can turn different attributes of the graph window on and off. You can turn on and off the axes, grid, coordinates, and axis labels.

Notes:

• By default, the axes and coordinates are turned on, while the grid and axis labels are turned off.

• The axis labels are sent to your students’ calculators when you start activities.

To turn the axes on or off

1. Click Edit > Edit Window Settings or click Edit Window Settings

The Window Settings dialog box opens.

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2. Select or clear the Axes check box.

3. Click OK.

If you selected the Axes check box, the Activity Center tool turns the axes on.

If you cleared the Axes check box, the Activity Center tool turns the axes off.

To turn the grid on or off

1. Click Edit > Edit Window Settings or click Edit Window Settings

The Window Settings dialog box opens.

2. Select or clear the

Grid check box.

3. Click OK.

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If you selected the Grid check box, the Activity Center tool turns the grid on.

If you cleared the Grid check box, the Activity Center tool turns the grid off.

To turn coordinates on or off

1. Click Edit > Edit Window Settings or click Edit Window Settings

The Window Settings dialog box opens.

2. Select or clear the

3. Click OK.

If you selected the Coords check box, the Activity Center tool turns the coordinates on.

If you cleared the Coords check box, the Activity Center tool turns the coordinates off.

Coords check box.

To turn the axis labels on or off

1. Click Edit > Edit Window Settings or click Edit Window Settings

The Window Settings dialog box opens.

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2. Select or clear the Axis Labels check box.

3. Click OK.

If you selected the Axis Labels check box, the Activity Center tool turns the axis labels on.

If you cleared the Axis Labels check box, the Activity Center tool turns the axis labels off.

Creating axis labels

By default, the X and Y axes in your graph window do not have labels. If you need labels for your graph window, you can create them in the Window Settings dialog box.

To create axis labels

1. Click Edit > Edit Window Settings or click Edit Window Settings

The Window Settings dialog box opens.

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2. Click the X Label box and enter a name for the X axis label.

3. Click the Y Label box and enter a name for the Y axis label.

4. Click

OK.

The labels appear on the graph window.

Zooming in and out on the graph window

On the graph window in the Activity Center tool, you can zoom in, zoom out, or set the zoom to the standard window range.

Note: You can also zoom to fit data plots (Zoom Stat) or to make the grid

appear square (Zoom Square).

To zoom in on the graph window

f Click

View > Zoom In or click Zoom In .

To zoom out on the graph window

f Click

View > Zoom Out or click Zoom Out .

To zoom to the standard window settings

f Click

View > Zoom Standard or click Zoom Standard .

Zooming to fit data sets (Zoom Stat)

You can use the Zoom Stat option in the Activity Center tool to zoom to fit all visible data sets.

To zoom to fit data sets

f Click

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View > Zoom Stat or click Zoom Stat .

Making the grid of the graph window square (Zoom Square)

As on the calculator, when the graph window is set to the default, the grid appears rectangular. The Activity Center tool lets you make the grid of the graph window square.

To make the grid of the graph window square

f Click

View > Zoom Square or click Zoom Square .

Zoom mode

You can also control the zoom of the graph window using the Zoom button and your mouse.

1. Click

2. Move the cursor over the graph area. The cursor becomes a

3. Click and hold at any point in the graph control area. Move the

4. Press and hold the Ctrl key to unlink the axes. Move the cursor left or

Zoom .

magnifying glass to indicate that you are in zoom mode.

cursor up to zoom in. Move the cursor down to zoom out.

right to zoom the X axis. Move the cursor up or down to zoom the Y axis.

Panning the graph window

If you want to view locations on your graph window that you cannot see, you can pan the graph window up, down, right, and left.

To pan up

1. Click the List - Graph tab, Graph tab, or Graph - Equation tab.

The selected tab opens.

2. Click

3. Repeat step 2 until you reach the graph window position you want.

Pan Up .

To pan down

1. Click the List - Graph tab, Graph tab, or Graph - Equation tab.

The selected tab opens.

2. Click

3. Repeat step 2 until you reach the graph window position you want.

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Pan Down .

To pan right

1. Click the List - Graph tab, Graph tab, or Graph - Equation tab.

The selected tab opens.

2. Click

3. Repeat step 2 until you reach the graph window position you want.

Pan Right .

To pan left

1. Click the List - Graph tab, Graph tab, or Graph - Equation tab.

The selected tab opens.

2. Click

3. Repeat step 2 until you reach the graph window position you want.

Pan Left .

Pan mode

You can also control the view of the graph window using the Pan button and your mouse.

1. Click Pan .

2. Move the cursor over the graph area. The cursor becomes a hand.

3. Click and hold a point in the graph window. Drag the cursor to a new location. The screen updates as you pan the graph.

Changing the graphing pen color and width for equations

When you use the graph window as part of your lesson, you may want to emphasize certain equations that appear in that space. In the Activity Center tool, you have the option of changing the color and/or width of the graphing pen. You can change these attributes under the Graph -

Equation tab or the Equation tab. When you change the graphing pen color and width for an equation line under one tab, the Activity Center tool changes makes the changes under all tabs with the graph window.

To change the graphing pen color

1. Click the Graph - Equation tab or the Equation tab.

The selected tab opens.

2. In the equation gallery, click the white/colored box next to the

graphed equation’s name.

The Graphing Pen Attributes dialog box opens.

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3. In the Pen Color color palette, click the color you want.

4. Click OK.

To change the graphing pen width

1. Click the Graph - Equation tab or the Equation tab.

The selected tab opens.

2. In the equation gallery, click the white/colored box next to the graphed equation’s name.

The Graphing Pen Attributes dialog box opens.

3. From the Pen Width drop-down list, select the width you want.

4. Click

OK.

Changing the appearance of students’ cursors

When your students submit points one at a time, the Activity Center tool graph shows their cursors in the graph window. To help students identify themselves in the graph window, you can have the Activity Center tool individualize the students’ cursors using different shapes and colors.

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Note: The Activity Center tool automatically assigns the shapes and

colors.

To individualize students’ cursors

f Click

View > Individualize Student Cursors.

Adding and removing background images for the graph window

The Activity Center tool lets you add a background image to the graph window. If you decide you do not want the background image, you can remove it at any time.

To add a background image to the graph window

1. Click File > Load > Load Background Image.

The Load Background Image dialog box opens.

2. Navigate to the image file you want to add and click it.

Note: You can select GIF, PNG, BMP, JPEG, and TI (*.83i, *.89i, *.9xi,

*.v2i) image files.

3. Click Load.

The selected image appears in the Activity Center tool’s graph.

Removing a background image from the graph window

f Click

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File > Remove Background Image.

Saving and loading activity settings

Once you set up your activities and change the graph window settings to suit your needs, you may want to save these settings. After you save the activity settings, you can then load them into the Activity Center tool. Saving and later loading your activity settings can save you time when you use activities with your class. This section covers:

• Saving activity settings

• Loading activity settings

Saving activity settings

When you save activity settings, the Activity Center tool saves all of the activity data configurations and window settings. Saving your activities settings can help in lesson planning, letting you set up the Activity Center tool for your classes before they begin.

To save activity settings

1. Configure the activity options.

2. Click

File > Save > Save Activity Settings.

The Save Settings dialog box opens.

3. Navigate to the location where you want to save the activity settings file.

4. Enter a file name.

5. Click

Save.

Loading activity settings

You can load saved activity settings into the Activity Center tool whenever you are ready to use them. Loading saved activity settings can help you quickly get an activity started with your class.

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To load activity settings

1. Click File > Load > Load Activity Settings.

The Load Settings dialog box opens.

2. Navigate to the file you want to load and click it.

3. Click

Open.

The Activity Center tool loads the activity settings.

Note: The maximum number of equations that a student can contribute is limited to four for TI-73 classes. If you save activity settings from a TI-83 classroom with Contribute Equations set to more than four equations, and then load those saved settings into a TI-73 class, you will receive the alert below.

Starting and managing activities

You can use the controls in the Activity Center tool to start and manage your activities during a class session. This section contains the information you need to run your activities, including:

• Starting an activity

• Pausing an activity

• Resuming a paused activity

• Stopping an activity

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Starting an activity

Starting an activity involves two steps. First, you must start the activity in the Activity Center tool to make it available for your students. Once you start the activity in the Activity Center tool, your students can then join in the activity from their calculators. Below you can find instructions on both starting the activity in the Activity Center tool and instructing students on joining the activity from their calculators.

To start activities in the Activity Center tool

1. If you have not already done so, configure the activity or load saved activity settings.

2. From the Contribute drop-down list, select the type of data you want to collect from your students.

3. Click File > Start Activity or click Start Activity .

To instruct students on joining activities

Once you start an activity in the Activity Center tool, your students can join the activity from their calculators. You can use the following instructions to instruct your students on how to join an activity you have started.

Note: As the teacher, you can also use the steps below to join the activity

from your calculator. When you join an activity from your calculator, you participate in a student role.

Student Point of View: The steps below are from the student’s

point of view.

1. If you have not already done so, log in to your calculator.

2. On the TI-Navigator™ Home screen, select

If your teacher has already started the activity, then the Activity Center tool opens on your calculator.

If the teacher has not yet started the activity, then the message “Waiting for teacher” appears. The Activity Center tool opens when your teacher starts it on his or her computer.

1: Activity Center.

Pausing an activity

You may want to temporarily pause an activity during a lesson to provide instruction or discuss the activity with your students. Pausing your activity temporarily stops the activity on your students’ calculators, letting you get your students’ attention.

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To pause an activity

f Click

File > Pause Activity or click Pause Activity .

The activity pauses. Students receive the message “Activity Paused” on their calculators and cannot use the activity on their calculators.

Resuming a paused activity

After you pause your activity, you can resume it whenever you are ready to continue.

To resume a paused activity

f Click

File > Resume Activity or click Resume Activity .

The activity resumes. The “Activity Paused” message no longer appears on your students’ calculators. Students can again contribute data to the Activity Center tool.

Stopping an activity

You can stop an activity at any time. When you stop an activity, the Activity Center tool considers the activity complete and you cannot resume it without starting the activity over again. If you plan to resume the activity, then you should pause it instead of stopping it. After you stop an activity, you can then reconfigure the data options or select a different kind of data for the activity.

To stop an activity

f Click

File > Stop Activity or click Stop Activity .

The current activity stops. Your students receive the message “Activity Stopped” on their calculators.

Note: If you are done with the Activity Center tool and want

your students to return to the calculator home screen, tell them to press

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y 5.

Creating and adding activity data

In the Activity Center tool, you can manually create and add the basic types of activity data that your students can contribute. This section provides information about creating and adding activity data in the Activity Center tool, including:

• Entering fractions in Activity Center

• Creating lists

• Adding data to existing lists

• Creating points

• Creating Y= and X= equations

• Creating lists of class points (student instruction)

• Creating tables of values for an equation

Note: Although “Creating lists of class points” provides instructions for

your students, you can also use these instructions yourself to create lists of class points from your calculator.

Entering fractions in Activity Center

The and keys have the same function in Activity Center as they do on the TI-73 Explorer™ calculator.

The key is pressed between the unit and the fraction. The key is pressed between the numerator and the denominator.

For example, the number 5 1/2 is entered by typing 5 1 2.

The number 3/4 is typed as 3 4.

Creating lists

You can create lists directly from the List tab, List - Graph tab, and the Configure Calculators for Activity dialog box (list version).

To create lists

1. Click the List tab or the List - Graph tab.

Note: If you are in the Configure Calculators for Activity dialog box,

you can skip this step.

2. Click

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Create New Lists .

The Create New Lists dialog box opens.

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